Windshield defroster



April 29. 1941. H. @ALE wINDsHIELD DEFRosTER Filed April 1, 1940 Smoentor Gttorneg Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATI-:s PATENT oFFlE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER Herbert Gale. Kansas City, Mo., assigner of onehalf to Jack W. Comer, Kansas City, Mo.

Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,194

3 Claims.

Cil

ding liquid may be sprayed on the windshield by the hot air in the event that ice and snow should accumulate on the windshield while the car is standing still.

The apparat/us is so arranged that the hot air only may be used, or when desired both the hot air and the antifreeze liquid may be used simultaneously.

Other features will hereinafter appear and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a motor vehicle equipped with my defrosting apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on line 2-2 oi Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of a tank for holding the antifreeze liquid and means for syphoning the liquid from said tank and spraying it upon the windshield. Referring in detail to the diierent parts, A designates the windshield of an automobile, B the hood, C the cowl, D the fan, E the engine and F the engine exhaust manifold which is equipped with a stove or a hot air heater 2 having air inlets 3 and an outlet pipe 4 leading to the intake of a blower 6. The outlet pipe 4 is provided with a Y-coupling 8 having a cold air intake i0 and a valve i2, which latter is adapted to be adjusted with a lever i3 to one position to close the cold air intake i0, or to another position to cut oil the hot air to the blower 6 and admit cold air through the intake I0. The blower 6 is driven by suitable means such as pulleys I4 and I6 and a belt I8. The pulley I4 is ilxed to the fan shaft d and the pulley i6 is ilxed to the shaft Il oi.' the blower 6.

The blower 6 forces the air through an outlet pipe I8 leading back to a tank 20 placed beneath the hood B and the cowl C.A The tank 28 is dlvided by means of a longitudinal partition 22 into a liquid holding compartment 24 and an air compartment 26, to which latter the pipe I6 is connected.y A plurality of spray nozzles 28 are ilxed at their lower ends to the partition 22 and extend A through the upper portion of the tank 20 and apertures in the cowl C. Each spray nozzle 26 is provided at its lower portion with an inlet port 30 controlled by a valve 32 fixed upon a shaft 34.

`All of the valves 32 are xed for simultaneous operation to the shaft 34 which is rockably mounted in the ends of the tank 20 from which they project to receive the upper ends of a U- shaped lever 36 fixed thereon. The valves 32 are normally held in closed position by a spring 3| connected to the lever 36 and a pin 33, fixed to the tank 20.

Any suitable packing means, not shown, may

be provided for sealing the ends of the tank 20` where the shaft 34 extends therethrough to prevent leakage of an antifreeze liquid placed in the compartment 24 through a filler opening 36 normally closed with a cap 40.

Arranged axially within each spray nozzle 28 is an air nozzle 42 xed at its lower end to the partition 22 which has ports 44 communicating with the respective air nozzles. A hand actuated rod 46 extends loosely through slots in the free ends of the levers i3 and 36 and also through a slot 4B in the automobile dash G and is provided at its rear end with a knob 50 within convenient reach of the driver.

The forward portion of the rod 46 extends loosely through a guide 52 and is provided with relatively weak and strong coil springs 54 and 56, respectively, which tend to hold the valve l2 in position to shut off the hot air from the stove 2 to blower 6. The spring 56 is interposed between the lever i3 and a nut and Washer 58 threaded upon the forward end of the rod 46, which latter is provided in advance of the lever 36 with a Xed collar 60 and at the rear of the lever 36 with nxed shoulders 62 and 64, respectively, either of which is adapted to engage over the lower end of the slot 48.

, In practice, when hot air alone is suilclent .to clear the windshield A of snow or-s1eet, Ithe driver grasps the knob 50 and pulls .the rod 46 backward until the shoulder 62 enga-ges over the lower end of the slot 48. This operation compresses the springs 54 and 56, which latter being the stronger will move the lever i3 rearwardly and thus cause the valve I2 rto close the intake l0 and open communicaltion through pipe 4 from the stove 2 to the blower 6 which discharges the hot air against the windshield lthrough the pipe I8, the air compartment 26, and the nozzles I2 and 28, respectively. However, should it be-Iound that the upward at about the same angle aathe windshield SHOW and Sleet has beme frozen R011 the I s asians windshield so that some time would be required to remove it with .the hot air alone. the antii'reeze liquid is also sprayed upon the windshield. This isy accomplished .by pulling the rod 48 backward until the shoulder B4 engages over .the lower end of the slot 4B, which operation causes the collar SII -to operate .the lever 36 and thus open the valves 32 so that the antiireeze liquid in the compartment 24 will be syphoned therefrom and sprayed upon the windshield |by the air discharged through the nozzles 42 and 28, respectively. As the antlireeze liquid is heated by the hot air discharged from the nozzles 42 its eillciency oi course will be increased. In addition -to the liquid having antiirezing properties, i-t may also be treated with a solution to impara; rain shedding qualities thereto to provide clear vision i'or the driver when it is raining. l

When both oi' the shoulders 82, 84 are disengaged from the lower end of the slot 48 'the springs 54, 56 will expand and force the rod 4B forward and cause the valve l2 to open the cold air intake l0.

air compartment and a liquid compartment, a`

pipe leading from the .blower to said air compartment, a plurality of spray nozzles projecting from the liquid compartmentland directed towards the windshield, ports establishing communication between said spray nozzles and the liquid compartment, valves for con-trolling said ports, a hand controlled rod for moving the rst-men-tioned valve to the position for opening communication between the stove and the blower, means on the rod Yor opening .the valves controlling the por-ts on further movement of the rod. and nozzles communicating with the air compartment and extending into the spray nozzles.

3. In means for blowing air and spraying a l liquid against the Windshield of a motor vehicle From the foregoing it will be understood that r I have provided an apparatus which is well adapted for the -purpose intended, and while I have shown 'and described a preferred embodiment of the invention I reserve all rights to such other v forms and modifications .thereof as properly fall within the spirit and'scope oi the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is: l. In means for blowing air and spraying a liquid against the windshield of a motor vehicle comprising a stove associated with the engine of the motor vehicle, a blower operated by the engine, a pipe leading from said stove tothe intake of the blower, a tank adjacent to the windshield divided into an air compartment and a liquid compartment, a pipe leading from the blower to said air compartment, a plurality oi spray nozgies projecting from the liquid compartment and directed towards the windshield, ports establishing communication between said spray nozzles and the liquid compartment, means for controlling said ports, and nozzles communicating with the air compartment and extending into said spray nozzles.

f 2. In means for blowing air and spraying a liquid against the windshield of a motor vehicle comprising a stove associated with the engine of the motor vehicle, a blower operated by the engine, a pipe leading from said stove to the intake comprising a stove associated with the engine of the motor vehicle, a blower operated by Ithe engine, a pipe leading from said stove to the intake of .the blower, a coupling connected to said pipe .and provided with a cold-air intake, a Valve in said coupling adapted =to move to one position to close the cold-air intake or move to another position to close communication between the stove and Ithe blower and open .the cold air intake, a tank adjacent to the windshield divided into an air compartment and a liqiud compartment. a pipe leading from the blower to said air compartment, a plurali-ty of spray nozzles projecting from lthe liquid compartment and direc-ted towards the windshield, ports establishing communication between said spray nozzles and lthe liq uid compartment, valves for controlling said ports, a hand controlled rod for moving the rstmentioned valve to the position for opening communication `between fthe stove and the blower, means on the rod for opening the valves controlling the ports on further movement of .the rod, means for holding the rod in each position, spring means for moving the rod in posi-tion to move fthe mst-mentioned valve in position to close the cold air intake, spring means for closing fthe port controlling valves, and nozzles communicating with the air compartment and extending into the spray nozzles.

EERBERT GALE. 

